Creativity. The creativity has to be the first thing that stands out to me. You can tell right off the bat that the writers have experience in youth ministry. This is not purely a lecture series, but an interactive teaching approach that is easy for the teacher to use. The illustrations were dynamite, and I was rarely disappointed in the variety.

Purpose. The premise falls in line with my youth ministry philosophy. As it says in Colossians 1:23, the goal in youth ministry should be: lead teenagers to a faith that lasts, that continues, and in this case, that sticks. With so many students leaving church following graduation, there must be something that we could present to our departing seniors that will help change the trend. This curriculum aims to buck the trend, and point the students towards a faith that isn’t tied to youth group.

Easy to Use. No matter the experience level of the teacher, this curriculum was pretty easy to use. Sure, there was study involved, but even if a parent wanted to use this with their upper-classmen, it could happen.

The Bad:

The video clips. I wasn’t too impressed with the content of the clips, and was even concerned at some of the wording for young Christians. Be careful, and do not feel pressured to use the clips. At times they add to the teaching, and other times they are simply not needed.

Activities. Some of the activities or worship practices were out of my comfort zone. It’s good to have creativity, but again, don’t feel pressured in doing something that may cause more confusion than growth. This was rare in the series, but it did appear.

The Grade: B

The variety and ease of use allowed this to be a positive grade. There were some flaws, and the spiritual depth needed an extra boost every now and then, but for the most part, I enjoyed the series. In fact, I was able to use this material for a transition class where I combined junior high, high school, & young adults. Very few curricula could ever be that versatile.

The curriculum did its job in providing valuable lessons for the senior to transition into adult life. It’s an important enough venture to look into this curriculum for a number of reasons: very few curricula out there like this, the epidemic of seniors leaving church after graduation, and the importance of the topics covered. Just those few reasons alone should encourage you to take a look.

There has been much written about the epidemic of students “graduating from church”. The statistics are out there where we are seeing a number of students leaving the church after high school…and while I have my theories, my goal of this post is to look at the positive, with your help. As I begin to follow God’s leading in developing College/Singles, College & Career, Young Adults (whatever you want to call it)…I’d love to hear what has worked for your ministry, or even what has not worked. Teach me. Here are some questions:

What structure has worked in your ministry to college/singles? Time? Location?

What curriculum/studies have you used? What has worked best? DVD study? Topical Studies?

How have you been able to connect with parachurch organization on campus like Campus Crusade and Navigators?

What is the best method of contacting this age group – email, facebook, text…I’m smart enough to know that talking over the phone is so 2007.

What events have been successful? What times?

How are you able to keep college students that are away connected? Do you do something special in the summer/winter break?

I’ve got more questions, but I think this is a good start. Would love to hear what God is doing in your ministry to young adults. Have a blessed day.